Let's Make a Difference: We Can Help Orangutans, by Gabriella Francine and Solara Vayanian

Let's Make a Difference:

We Can Help Orangutans 

Authors: Gabriella Francine and Solara Vayanian 

Publisher: BBM Books 

Publication Date: October 1, 2013

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My three-year-old (well, she'll be four by the time this review is published, but she was three when we first read it) and I both loved this book, with its big, glossy photos of mother and baby orangutans. It has a lot of information about things that threaten orangutan habitats and how we can help. 

I do wish it had gone further though. As Magda pointed out, it looked like all of the photographs were just of the same mother and baby and she wasn't sure if there were any adult male orangutans pictured at all (I think she's right). 

The advice for how kids can help is limited to things like gathering change from couch cushions to send to charity organizations. After reading Joe the Monkey Learns to Share, from the Money Mammals series, Magda and I were both filled with ideas about having "Spend-Share-Save" jars so children can make charity a regular part of their money management, even at a young age (an idea that we did adapt at home). So by comparison, this seemed like limited advice, especially considering it's supposed to be a "Coins for Causes" book.

Overall, it's great BUT I wish it had included a lot more information. There are ways to make it accessible to both very young and much older kids, by including both large photos AND extra information (in the back or in information boxes). 

Digital Wildlife Photography, by John and Barbara Gerlach

Digital Wildlife Photography

Authors: John and Barbara Gerlach

Publisher: Focal Press

Publication Date: November 14, 2012

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Boy, if there was ever a book that needed a subtitle, it's this one! I thought it was a book OF wildlife photography, not a book ABOUT wildlife photography! It's my fault for not reading the description better. I was really looking forward to some beautiful, high-res photos of wildlife, like what's on the cover. Instead it's a book about how to get the most out of your digital camera when trying to take pictures like that on your own. So disappointed!

That's not to say that YOU'LL be disappointed because now that you know what the book is about, it might be exactly the book you're looking for. Unless you're looking for a coffee table style book of glossy animal pictures, in which case you will be disappointed (but don't say I didn't warn you). Here are some of the topics covered in the book:

Chapter 1 - Cameras and Accessories: The Best Wildlife Camera SystemsChapter 2 - Choosing and Using Lenses: Selecting Quality LensesChapter 3 - Exposure StrategiesChapter 4 - Precise Focusing TechniquesChapter 5 - Shooting Quality ImagesChapter 6 - The Crucial Role of LightChapter 7 - CompositionChapter 8 - Electronic FlashChapter 9 - Getting Close to Wildlife

Not covered: Adorable little lambs jumping over their mothers. For those photos, you should really check out the Flickr stream of photographer Roeselien Raimond. She has nothing to do with this book, but she took this photo. Look! It's a leaping lamb!

Photo by: Roeselien Raimond
It's not in the book. It has nothing to do with the book. It's just an awesome photo.

Reflect and Write: 300 Poems and Photographs to Inspire Writing, by Elizabeth Guy and Hank Kellner

Reflect and Write:

300 Poems and Photographs to Inspire Writing

Authors: Elizabeth Guy and Hank Kellner

Editor: Sean Redmond

Publisher: Prufrock Press

Publication Date: February 1, 2013
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It has been a while since I taught poetry, but when I did I often made use of art, photography and quotations to act as writing prompts. So I appreciate the compilation of poetry, photography, quotations and questions in this book.

The photos are well-chosen, helping to elucidate the themes of the accompanying poem and spark students’ imaginations. (The image of three nuns watching a “Spirit Cruises” ship next to a poem about longing to travel made me smile.) Each poem also includes key words that students can discuss as well as questions about the theme, or ideas for writing assignments. I particularly like the quotations from famous people on each page because they often offer a wryly dissenting opinion from the poem. (A particularly peppy poem entitled “I Love a Parade” is followed by the Ulysses S. Grant quote, “The one thing I never want to see again is a military parade.”)

There were, however, some things I wish the authors had included but didn’t. There are no author bios for any of the authors of the poems (except Elizabeth Guy and Hank Kellner). There is a symbol indicating if the poem was written by a student or not, but that is the only information we are given. As a reader, I like to have at least basic information about a poet that may help me understand the context in which they write. And as a teacher I like to have that information to share with the class or as a prompt for further research.

Alphabet Everywhere, by Elliott Kaufman

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In this gorgeous 32-page picture book (making it the perfect size for children--ever notice how almost all preschool books are 32 pages long?) Elliott Kaufman transforms everyday scenes into magic by capturing "natural" occurrences of letters in the everyday world. A bridge becomes the letter W, a door handle the letter B, a swirly lamp post the letter J. It's charming and inspiring. Each page has a handful of different photos to represent a letter of the alphabet. Some are easy to see--like the mosaic tiles that spell out the letter F--while others are trickier--like the twin silos that form the letter M, but only if you look at the negative space above and around them.

I've seen photos like this sold as individual prints (Groupon always seems to have deals for them) that you can purchase in groups to spell out a word or a name, but it wasn't until I saw the whole alphabet laid out like a charming coffee table book did I fully see the appeal. I can't wait to show my daughter these photos. Maybe she and I will go on an "alphabet hunt" nature walk with a camera in hand.